Africana Studies

Overview:

The University of Arizona's Africana Studies Program prepares future leaders of a global and diverse economy from North and Latin America to Africa and Europe. It offers an interdisciplinary major, a minor in hip-hop cultures, and a variety of internships and study abroad opportunities. The program embraces new technologies and is a leader in online offerings and digital humanities. Africana Studies graduates are very marketable and obtain jobs in any career.

Students will acquire historical understanding of the role of Africans and their descendants throughout the world as subjects in human history.

Students will be able to identify key historical problems of Africans and African-descended peoples throughout the world and use these as the context for understanding and solving contemporary problems.

Students will be able to identify and to apply knowledge and skills learned in Africana Studies to real world situations.

Last Modified: 09/05/2014

Assessment Activities:

LEARNING OUTCOME

1

LEARNING OUTCOME

2

LEARNING OUTCOME

3

Activities for assessing learning outcome 1 are conducted in the course AFAS 498 Senior Capstone as follows: Students are required to address the following prompt in a paper: “Based on your experiences in the Africana Studies Program, describe the role of Africans and their descendants throughout the world as objects and subjects in human history. Focus on a specific selected period, such as a decade, century, major historical or cultural events.” In addition, students are required to complete an exit survey in which we ask them to self-assess their attainment of learning outcomes 1, 2, and 3.

Activities for assessing learning outcome 2 are conducted in the course AFAS 498 Senior Capstone as follows: Students are required to address the following prompt in a paper: “Select a contemporary issue of your choice related to peoples of African descent and discuss it in its historical context: a specific selected period, such as a decade, century, major historical or cultural events.” In addition, students are required to complete an exit survey in which we ask them to self-assess their attainment of learning outcomes 1, 2, and 3.

Activities for assessing learning outcome 3 are either an internship or a study abroad experience. Students are required to reflect on their internship or study abroad experience in a report written as part of AFAS 498 Senior Capstone. In addition, in the same written report, students are asked to provide examples of how they applied their knowledge to real-world situations that they encountered in their internship or study abroad. Finally, students are required to complete an exit survey in which we ask them to self-assess their attainment of learning outcomes 1, 2, and 3.

Last Modified: 09/05/2014

Assessment Findings:

LEARNING OUTCOME

1

LEARNING OUTCOME

2

LEARNING OUTCOME

3

The instructor reads and assesses the students’ level of understanding of the role of Africans and their descendants in the human history. To satisfy the requirements of learning outcome 1, students must achieve a grade of C (75%) or higher on the paper. The AFAS Curriculum Committee will develop rubrics to evaluate the paper and reflection. These rubrics will be reliable across time and different instructors to assess the assignment.

The instructor reads and assesses the students’ level of understanding of the historical context of the selected contemporary issue. To satisfy the requirements of learning outcome 1, students must achieve a grade of C (75%) or higher on the paper. The AFAS Curriculum Committee will develop rubrics to evaluate the paper and reflection. These rubrics will be reliable across time and different instructors to assess the assignment.

The instructor reads and assesses how well the students apply knowledge gained from real world situation in their report. To satisfy the requirements of learning outcome 3, students must achieve a grade of C (75%) or higher on the report. The AFAS Curriculum Committee will develop rubrics to evaluate the paper and reflection. These rubrics will be reliable across time and different instructors to assess the assignment.

Last Modified: 09/05/2014

Change in Response to Findings:

LEARNING OUTCOME

1

LEARNING OUTCOME

2

LEARNING OUTCOME

3

Every year, the Africana Studies Curriculum Committee reviews the AFAS 498 Senior Capstone papers and rubric scores. Based on its findings over time, and after discussing such findings with the entire AFAS faculty, the Curriculum Committee suggests eventual modifications as needed.

Every year, the Africana Studies Curriculum Committee reviews the AFAS 498 Senior Capstone papers and rubric scores. Based on its findings over time, and after discussing such findings with the entire AFAS faculty, the Curriculum Committee suggests eventual modifications as needed.

Every year, the Africana Studies Curriculum Committee reviews the AFAS 498 Senior Capstone papers and rubric scores. Based on its findings over time, and after discussing such findings with the entire AFAS faculty, the Curriculum Committee suggests eventual modifications as needed.